Heavy rains and strong winds hitting southern British Columbia on Monday have led to flooding and fallen trees in parts of Metro Vancouver.
Metro Vancouver could see 140 to 180 millimetres of rainfall on Monday, according to a statement from Environment Canada, along with the western Fraser Valley, Whistler, Howe Sound, and parts of the Sunshine Coast.
The central and eastern parts of the Fraser Valley could see as much as 250 millimetres of rain by Monday night.
Coquitlam RCMP said Monday that the Mary Hill and Freemont on-ramps and off-ramps to the Pitt River Bridge have been closed due to flooding.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said heavy rains have led to localized flooding.
West said BC Hydro has issued a flood alert for the Coquitlam River downstream of the Coquitlam Dam. City staff will be filling sandbags as a precaution.
In Delta, the Planet Ice Arena saw heavy rainfalls, with a tow truck called to the arena’s parking lot to pull vehicles out of the water.
Water now covers one of the runways at Pitt Meadows Regional Airport and is seeping onto nearby Baynes Road. Several other roads in the area are shut down.
In Vancouver, a tree fell on East 12th Avenue near Fraser Street, disrupting traffic in the area.
The City of Vancouver has set up additional shelter spaces at four locations due to the extreme weather.
Stanley Park and the seawall are closed temporarily due to high winds, according to the Vancouver Park Board.
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Torrential rain that set off flooding and mudslides in southern British Columbia has closed highways, trapped people in vehicles, and forced the evacuation of some communities.
Around 7,000 people have had to evacuate from Merritt, B.C., due to the rising Coldwater River. Residents were being asked to stay with friends or family if possible, or to go to the emergency social support reception centres in Kamloops and Kelowna.
Rescue efforts are underway for around 275 people trapped by mudslides on Highway 7 near Agassiz, B.C.
The District of Kent is under a local state of emergency.
— with files from Megan Turcato and The Canadian Press
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